Climate Science Degree in Houston, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Climate Science degree analysis for Houston, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$83K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$121K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
2.2 yrs
in Houston
Cost of Living
115
index (100 = avg)
Climate Science in Houston, TX Overview
Houston is one of Texas's top college towns, with 90 institutions and a student population of 71,513. Public tuition averages $10,200/year here — well below the national average, making it a cost-effective choice. Climate Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Climate Modeling and Data Analysis skills. The adjusted starting salary in Houston is approximately $82,800.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
90
Public Tuition
$10,200/yr
Private Tuition
$56,280/yr
Room & Board
$13,520/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$13,081/yr
Unemployment
5.2%
Graduation Rate
72%
Climate Science Salary in Houston (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Houston's cost of living index of 115 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Climate Science salary: $72,000 starting, $105,000 mid-career, $140,000 senior level.Houston adjustment factor: 1.15x based on the local cost of living index.
Climate Science ROI Calculator for Houston
Estimate your return on investment for a Climate Science degree using local Houston tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,200 | Private avg: $56,280
Houston avg aid: $13,081/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$94,880
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$42,550
vs HS diploma in Houston
ROI Payback Period
2.2 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Houston
$20,120
Lifetime earnings premium ($115,000) minus total education cost ($94,880)
Student Loan Payoff for Climate Science in Houston
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Houston for Climate Science
University of Houston
public
$11,164/yr
$44,656 total
Rice University
private
$56,280/yr
$225,120 total
Texas Southern University
public
$9,236/yr
$36,944 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Houston Community College
$2,688/yr
Top Employers for Climate Science in Houston
Houston offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Climate Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Houston Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Climate Science Job Titles
Climate Science in Nearby Texas Cities
San Antonio, TX
$86K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$75K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$77K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$73K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$67K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Arlington, TX
$67K starting · COL 93.5
14 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$59K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Plano, TX
$61K starting · COL 85
9 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Houston
Prompt Engineering
$58K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$109K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$98K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$101K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$94K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$58K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$92K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$58K starting · 3 yr ROI
Climate Science Degree in Houston — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Climate Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Houston.